Written by Aaron-Michael Fox.
West Virginia GEAR UP 2023 kicked off Wednesday on the campus of Marshall University here in Huntington, West Virginia. Two hundred rising eighth- and ninth-grade students will be getting to experience college for the next four days. Students will live in the dorms and take classes on campus just like real college students.
According to their website, this is the 3rd grant cycle for WV GEAR UP. GEAR UP is a federally funded program that helps students in 11 WV counties prepare to succeed in education beyond high school.
The goal of the GEAR UP program, which stands for “Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs,” is to help more students pursue their dreams of earning a college diploma or skillset certificate.
West Virginia’s GEAR UP program managed by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (WVHEPC), in collaboration with the West Virginia Community and Technical College System (WVCTCS), the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE), and others.
WV GEAR UP works to prepare students for college academically, financially, and socially with a number of events and programs available to its participants, including yearly visits to local colleges and universities like the one going on now at MU. The program operates on a seven-year cycle and the current cycle will conclude in 2029.
